Your consumer unit, the fuse box, should be replaced when it can no longer protect you properly, and there are a few clear signs. Old boards with rewireable fuses, a wooden back rather than metal, or no RCD safety switches were built to a standard modern wiring has long overtaken. If yours trips for no clear reason, feels warm, shows scorch marks or hums and buzzes, it needs looking at. You may also need a new board when you rewire, add a major circuit like an EV charger or shower, or if an EICR flags the existing one as inadequate. A modern unit cuts the power in a fraction of a second when something goes wrong, protecting you from shock and the building from fire.
Age alone does not always mean a board must be swapped, which is why we test every circuit before recommending a change. We upgrade consumer units across Spalding, Bourne, Sleaford, Peterborough, Grantham and the surrounding villages, fitting a quality board with surge protection as standard and its own protection on every circuit, usually in a single day. We are City and Guilds qualified with 30 years in the trade, everything is tested properly before we hand back, and you get one fixed price in writing before any work starts. If your board is perfectly safe, we will tell you so.
Know when it is due
Rewireable fuses, no RCD safety switches, a wooden back, scorch marks or unexplained tripping all mean a board is worth replacing.
Tested before we advise
We check every circuit first, so a board is only replaced when it genuinely needs to be, never as a default upsell.
Done in a day
A quality board with surge protection and protection on every circuit, usually fitted in a single day with only a short break in power.
Your questions, answered
Does an old fuse box always need replacing?
Not always. Age matters, but condition matters more. A tired board with rewireable fuses and no safety switches is worth upgrading, while a sound one may have years left. We test before we advise, and we will never sell you a board you do not need.
Do I need a new consumer unit to fit an EV charger?
Sometimes. A charger needs the right protection, and if your existing board cannot provide it a small change or an upgrade may be needed. We check this as part of the survey and tell you up front, in one clear price.
How long does replacing a consumer unit take?
Most swaps are done in a day, with the power off for just a few hours in the middle. We test every circuit at the changeover and walk you round the labelled new board before we leave.
Ready for electrics done properly?
Free fixed quotes across Spalding and Lincolnshire. Careful work, an immaculate finish and a price that doesn't move.